The Sea of Sparrows
by CrimsonWolf1999
Summary: Hi there! My name is Jake. Just so we're clear now, I used to be a completely normal schoolboy; I had friends, went to clubs, even got decent grades! Y'know, the average 16-year-old boy. In short, I had the works. That was all before a boy crashed through the ceiling of my class, killed a demon and then managed to wrap me up in the huge mess that he made; That's only the start...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

So, my day started out normally enough: my waking up late, younger sibling screaming, parents shouting; all was right with the world. I guess I should start with the introduction to my family, small as it is. My Mum and Dad are the type of parents who put on a show when going out, act the happy family and all that, but when it's just us all its ever been is shout, and nag, and that's when they even notice me and Alice. That's my sister, by the way. She's 10-years-old, has long chestnut brown hair and wears glasses that frame her eyes. (It makes her look a bit owlish, but she somehow manages to be the most popular in her class.) When I was that age, wearing glasses meant social suicide, and ridicule for as long as you were at school, though thankfully I don't speak from experience. I think the reason that Alice isn't made fun of is due to the fact that she scares the living crap out of her classmates, and I thinks she scares the teacher a little as well. Once, I swear I saw her flinch when Alice looked at her. That's Alice's death stare, one, that you don't want to be on the receiving end of. It can freeze you where you stand, and while being stared down by a 10-year-old may seem funny, let me assure you, it's not!

Anyway, now onto me. I have medium length raven-black hair, and ice blue eyes. It's my looks that got me the nickname 'Jackdaw'; even the teachers (the nice ones at least) call me by that name. Mercifully, I'm not plagued by the accursed acne that seems to follow my classmates, which means that my tanned skin is clear. (yay!). Also, I'm taller than most kids my age, which is why I would be good at athletics. I say 'would be' because, and anyone can vouch for this, my balance is terrible, and my legs are always getting tangled around each other. This is why I'm also known as 'Stork' to my close friends, who poked fun at 'Jackdaw' whenever they could. That's the lovely thing about my mates: I want to kill them at any given time, yet I know they've got my back no matter what. At any rate, now you know me and my nearest and dearest, those that I care about at least. Back to my late wake up, proceeded by a scarfed down breakfast that consisted of a hot-crossed-bun, that to be honest, tasted of cardboard. I then went on to run to school, making it by the skin of my teeth, with only a scowl from the gate-teacher as punishment.

I won't bore you with the details of Form, or the misery that is Maths, Spanish and History, one after the other. I'm sure you understand, that living through it once was painful enough. I will, however, introduce some of my friends, just so you get an idea of what I have to put up with. My best friend is called Tom, has sandy blond hair and is probably the smartest guy that I know, as well as looking like the poster boy for one of those adverts for the clothes you want but can never have. The nice thing about Tom is that while he knows he's smart, he doesn't brag about it and is often kind of shy around other people, for all his outward looks. Another of my friends is called Zoe. She has auburn hair, is short in stature, which pretty much mean that I tower over her. She also has freckles, and I think (though I'll never ask) that she has a bit of a thing for me, as she blushes whenever I talk to her, and I'm not talking about a gentle blush either, but like a tomato! I've never really returned the interest; I just can't see her as anything but a friend, as well as some other reasons as well.

It wasn't until 4th period, English, that the event actually happened. I was staring out of the window at the time, daydreaming through the class, hoping that it was near its end. All of a sudden a resounding crash echoed through the class, as the ceiling seemed to ripple, then shatter like glass. I say glass because as it fell it fractured even further, so that when it reached out head height, it was no more than dust. The strange thing was that no one seemed to notice what had just happened, nor the boy that was kneeling in the middle of the classroom. You know how I described Tom as being like one of those models? This boy was like a fallen angel. That's not even an exaggeration. His russet hair fell from his head in waves, while his face, seemingly sculpted from the fines stone, caught the dim light of day. His eyes, greener than the grass of a meadow, glinted like emeralds in the shadows of his hair, and at the centre there were twin fires glowing, the dying embers of a great fire. I then realised, that in the appearance of this beautiful boy, and the ceiling disintegrating, I had fallen from my seat, drawing the curious looks of my classmates.

I pointed a shaking finger towards the place where the ceiling used to be, the to the boy, who oddly was still kneeling. "Did nobody see what just happened?" This statement drew worried frowns and inquisitive looks, first to me, the to the places at which I pointed. Tom, who sat next to me, and Zoe, on the other side, knelt down next to me, asking in hushed voices if I was ok, or perhaps I needed a drink. Tom whispered: "Hey dude, are you alright? What happened?" Zoe then tapped my shoulder: "Yeah, why'd you fall over? And what do you mean what just happened? You kinda interrupted the teacher mid-lecture!"

"Are you kidding me?! Are both of you blind?" I hissed at them both. Of course, both returned looks of shock and hurt. "Can you not see that the ceiling has disappeared and the boy came crashing through?" I looked over as I was pointing, then felt like I had been punched in the stomach: the boy had gone, as had any trace that he was there I the first place. Dreading to do so, I looked up, my fear being confirmed before my eyes. The ceiling was as it always had been, in one piece, and not a sign of any disturbance whatsoever. Both of my friends were still giving me worried looks, so I forced a smile and reassured them that I was fine, that perhaps I was just a bit dehydrated and was seeing things. This seemed to comfort them, and they went back to their respective seats, though every now and then they, and a few others, gave me looks that suggested they thought I was a little loopy. The end of the lesson couldn't come soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

At last, lunchtime came, though it wasn't the reprieve I'd hoped it was. I was badgered by my classmates, all begging to know what had occurred, if I was insane, and the main question being after my mental functions being in order. I had to run to the far corner of the school to escape their incessant questions, with Tom and Zoe holding off the mob that was sure to follow. I sat on a nearby wall, it was crumbling with age, and I was pretty sure that it must've been there longer than the school by the looks of it. As I looked around, I realised something. It was strange for this part of school to be empty at any time, yet it was completely deserted. At lunchtime. Something was definitely up, though as for what it was, I hadn't the faintest clue. Peering around further, I noticed a shadow crouched by the door, trying to get in by the looks of it, but anyone who went to this school knew that any door was locked while it was lunch. "What are you doing?" I called out towards the shadow, who suddenly froze in place. The head lifted into the light, and I realised with a shock that it was Tom. I laughed with great relief, as I'd had enough weirdness for one day, enough for a lifetime. "What were you doing, trying to open the door? You know that the teachers lock the doors like clockwork!" Tom smiled, though it seemed forced: "Yes Jack, I know that. I left something in class, so I thought I'd try to get it. Excuse me." He bumped into me as he walked past, then broke into a run as he got farther away. I shook my head, not sure what I'd done to offend him, but sure that I would ask him later. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, yet when I turned my head, there was nothing. "You're getting paranoid, Jacky-boy!" I berated myself under my breath, and turned to enjoy the rest of my lunch.

I cornered Tom in the next lesson, and apologised for snapping at him, and did the same for Zoe. I then took Tom aside to ask about what had happened at lunch with him trying to open the door, and if he found what he was looking for. He gave me a bemused look and said with a puzzled look: "You know as well as I that the doors are locked. Besides, I was fending off the horde of kids asking about you!" He struck a dramatic pose: "I tried my best, but there were too many for even my might! I fell as a valiant hero, a brave warrior, a–." He was cut off suddenly as a barrage of paper balls hit him from all directions, as our class took their revenge against the 'valiant hero'. I left him to his 'martyr's death', and sat down, my head swirling with thoughts as to why he hadn't said anything about what had happened with the door, or why he had seemed so distant. As the teacher came in, I dismissed the thought, and settled back into the drudgery of schoolwork.

The rest the day passed in a whirl, as all other lessons blurred into one, and having said my goodbyes to my friends, I went home. There too, time seemed to pass quicker, as I had no homework and for once my parents were out, putting on the family façade. Before I knew it I was in bed and asleep and dreaming, though it was the strangest dream I am ever likely to have. It started out as most dreams do, in complete black. The shape of my room took shape around me, and that's down to the smallest detail, even down to the clothes that I had placed on the floor before I went to sleep! It was like no dream I'd ever had before. It was at this point that everything remotely comfortable about that dream decided to take a vacation, and leave me with an image of something that chills me to this day. Out of the shadows in the corner of my room (the general shape was left at least) a pair of glowing red eyes glared at me, seeming to fill the room with their malevolent intent. From behind me, I felt a warm glow, centring on my spine, just beside my heart. Looking around, these eyes were glowing green, yet the feeling I got from these eyes wasn't malevolence, at least not towards me. All that I could sense was a slight sensation of curiosity. Both pairs of eyes suddenly shifted, then leaped forward and clashed in a blaze of light. I awoke with a start, then stared wildly, making sure that I had been actually dreaming. It had felt so real that it was scary…

The next day started much the same as the first, except I wasn't late! It wasn't until break that I encountered the boy again, and thankfully it wasn't in any situation that had anything to with the ceiling disappearing, though it was strange! I didn't catch more than a glimpse of him actually, and he was wearing a hoodie so it was hard to see his face, but I'm pretty sure that it was him. It happened as I turned the corner, and happened to bump into him. I hadn't been going fast, and I don't think that he was either, but the impact was enough to send me crashing to the floor. I stared up at him, and opened my mouth to cure him for not looking where he was going, then remembered the last time I saw him. Nobody had been able to see him then, and I had looked like a complete fool. Glancing around, it was clear to see that in everybody else's eyes, I had simply fallen over. Slowly, I got back up, giving nods and smiles to those who gave concerned looks. I resolved to sort out what was happening at lunch, when I could find this mystery boy without others thinking me to be insane. Hopefully…

At first I tried looking in all the places that the other students found popular, like the sports field, or the library, and even the back alley that the shady students hang out around, (I've never been) but there was no sign of him. I decided to follow my gut, and ended up back at the door of my English classroom. As I walked in, I was confronted with the sight of the mysterious boy, the boy that only I could see, stabbing my best friend through the heart with a blade of light.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I let out a wordless scream of rage, sprinting the short distance to where the murderer stood motionless, my friend lying on the floor, blade still in him. I didn't even see him move, but the next thing I knew I was on my back, his hand around my throat, the other over my mouth. The first words that I hear him speak were: "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Then realisation dawned on his face: "Wait, you can see me?"

"Of course I can see you, you monster! I just saw you kill my friend, and I saw you when you destroyed the goddamn ceiling! Why is it only me?" Pressure increased on my neck, cutting off my oxygen. "You are friends with demons?" he asked, a dangerous glint in his eye. I was about to tell him that he was insane, that Tom couldn't have been a demon, that he had to be lying, when I saw the body. Light was pulsing in waves from the blade, and with each pulse, the body was disintegrating, ash flakes floating up into the air before turning to dust. Seeing my look of despair, but with his hand still on my neck, the boy quickly said: "Listen now, listen close. Odds are that boy, the boy you know as your friend, isn't actually a demon." My look of misunderstanding must have been obvious. "Ok, demons take the forms of those who they think will get them into places–." The bell rang; it was deafening. "I don't have enough time to explain. If you come and find me after school, I promise I will explain everything, ok?" Just like that, he was gone. Air rushed into my lungs, I gulped oxygen like a fish gulps water. Smoke was filling the room, and all I knew was that I had to get out. Even through the smoke, I could see the shining blade, and without knowing quite what I was doing (I blame smoke inhalation, as well as lack of air in the first place.) I picked it up, and ran out of the room… Straight into the teacher.

The explaining of what had happened went far easier than I had expected. All that I had to do was to lie and say that some guy had lit a fire, then had jumped out the window. The teachers seemed to accept this explanation rather easily, though I think it was mainly due to the fact that they thought I had been seeing things, and that I had never done anything of that sort of nature. After repeating the lie to several other people, classmates and teachers alike, it was decided that the school was to be closed because of the incident. I made my way with the rest of the students, not too fast, not too slow. Instead of leaving the grounds, I cut back, towards the now empty playing field that the school owned. If I was to meet with this boy, I wanted to be alone.

The playing field was housed by a stadium, one that cost most of the school's budget. As such, it was fully outfitted with speakers, a huge TV and lights that had e added option of becoming spotlights, if they were needed. When I arrived, it was nearly dark, it being the winter season and all. The stadium itself was lit up like a Christmas tree, and as I stepped out onto the field, it seemed to be stiflingly so. The moment I reached the centre, the lights cut out suddenly, then came back on, focusing on two spots. One was me, my own personal spotlight, the other was focused on the mysterious boy. "You really like theatricality, don't you?" I called out. The boy grinned, and shouted back: "If you're gonna do something, might as well do it in style!" There was a mischievous spark in his eyes as he said this, and was so different from the boy that I had met previously I was shocked. The other boy had looked so cold and angry. "What's your name? It's hard to keep on calling you 'boy' in my head!" He seemed taken aback by my question, though answered quickly: "My name is Amaris."

I walked toward Amaris until we were no more than 5 paces apart. "I suppose it's only proper that I introduce myself…" My voice trailed off as Amaris raised his hand. "I know who you are, Jake." He smiled as he said my name. "And _I_ suppose that I should explain myself, and my presence in your life." His way of speaking was quite formal, like that of and older man, though he looked to be my age. He looked me in the eye, and began his story: "I come from a different plane of existence. In my universe, if you like, there are many monster and demons, and then there are those that hunt them. I am one of those hunters." His voice held such a deep pride in that last statement, that could be sure that this position that he held was very important to him. He continued: "Unfortunately, there are times when these monsters slip through the cracks in space, and fall to this planet. That's why I'm here, by the way. As for why only you can see me, I haven't a clue. When my kind come to Earth, we cloak ourselves from human eyes, so that we don't cause a panic amongst your governments. Only my kind can see one another, and you're definitely human." The look he gave me while saying this made me feel as he were peering into my soul, and my hands moved unconsciously to cover myself. Amaris chuckled as I did this, and gasped out between laughs: "Don't worry, I'm not looking into anything precious to you!"

"I should bloody better hope so!" I spluttered, blushing in spite of myself.

It wasn't as if I had anything in particular to hide, but there were some things and moments in my life that I treasured, and had no intention of sharing those moments with anyone. Even so, I had decided that I liked Amaris; he was funny, and while I hadn't known him for even a day I knew I wanted him as a friend. I finally mustered up the courage to ask the question, the one that I had come here for: "You said my friend was still alive?" A sorrowful look crossed his face, then was stone. He walked towards me, until he was directly in front of me. "No, I said that he probably wasn't a demon. Most demons, when they take human form, have to keep their human alive, so they can keep their form. The demon I was chasing was a particularly powerful one, and so it might have killed your friend. I'm sorry, but the chances of your friend being alive are quite slim." All that was uttered came out in a flat cold monotone, more like a recording, or if Amaris were reading from a textbook, than the voice of Amaris that I had come to know. I was puzzling this change as the world began to spin, and darkness overcame me, my last conscious thought being: "Tom is dead…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I awoke in the familiar surroundings of my room, with the sole difference of Amaris' face hovering two inches above my own! I lept up and our heads collided; I saw stars. When the pain cleared I saw Amaris giving me a very dirty look, rubbing his forehead. "What were you thinking, getting up like that?!" he cried out. I realised, with hindsight, that it had been a silly thing to do, but there was no way that I was going to admit it! "What was I thinking? You were the one that put your face so close to mine!"

"It's not my fault! It's yours for the way you look when you sleep!"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Ugh, never mind. It's still not my fault!"

We sat glaring at each other for a full minute before we burst out laughing together. I gazed out the window; it was still dark. Thankfully, that meant that I hadn't been out long. Of course this train of thought reminded me of why I had passed out, bringing back the gloom. Noticing this, Amaris tried to get my attention on anything else, and for the next hour, it worked! My focus finally drifted to the ceiling, having exhausted all other lines of questioning, and also remembered the day of Amaris' arrival. "Why, if you can't be seen by human eyes, did you make such a mess when you arrived in my classroom?" At this he looked abashed, yet there was laughter in his eyes, making them gleam. "I'm a bit of a show-off. The amount of energy is linked to the emotions that the person is feeling; I was very excited, so there was a good amount of energy released. There is also the fact that I had thought the demon may have taken the form of a student, so I wanted to check if it was in the classroom. The chance that the classroom was yours was just luck."

"Ah, I see, that explains a lot." We sat in silence some more, simply enjoying each other's company, until Amaris stood up and made his way to the window. "Where are you going?" I asked him. With a grin, he quipped: "Its past your bedtime, Mister Jake, and time I be gone as well!"

"You'll still be here tomorrow, won't you?" I hated the needy tone that had creeped into my voice, but even so, I didn't want him to go. "Sure," he said quietly with a small smile, "I'll stick around for a while. Couldn't leave you all on your lonesome, could I?" With that, he leapt out the window into the inky-black night, and was gone.

The next 2 weeks passed in a blur, days fading into one another. In that time, I caught occasional glimpses of Amaris, through the window, or a figure dashing around school. These sightings did bring a smile to my face, and I was often caught staring into oblivion, my friends asking me what it was that made me quite so happy. Obviously I couldn't answer, so the others made up rumours that I was seeing someone, and that then led to the rumour-mill having the whole school be abuzz within the week. Tom had been reported as a missing person, and while the rest of the school had hope, I knew the truth. I had decided to accept Amaris' explanation, as there was nothing that could explain it better than what had been told to me. It wasn't until the weekend that I got to speak to Amaris properly again, and he didn't come bearing good news.

As usual, he found me, rather than the other way around. Our 'meeting' started as if we were old friends reunited: calling out loudly, hurling friendly insults and grinning like idiots while we did so. As we neared each other, his expression sobered, his mouth drawing to a grim line. Amaris drew a deep breath, let it out, and began: "People have begun to disappear. It's been happening for a while now, but the incidents have been too isolated for me to string them together as one big operation. And…" He paused, and looked me in the eye, "Most of these disappearances have been people from your school, in your year, around the time the demon was at your school. They've also continued since then." This revelation was like a physical blow to the stomach; it literally knocked the air out of me. I staggered a few paces back then cried out: "Surely someone would have raised the alarm, someone would have noticed? I mean, kids going missing, it's no small–" My protestations were cut short as I remembered the last week, where class had been unusually quiet, which even the teachers remarked on with joy. Another thought clicked into place: "Wait, you said 'disappeared', not killed?"

"Yes, that is what I said. I have found no signs of blood nor death related to the demons, and believe me, if it was happening, you'd know all about it. Blood and gore everywhere. Nasty stuff. Anyway, I think that they've been taken, as for _what_ I'm not sure. I'm almost definitely going to be called back soon, to give a report on what's been going on." He paused again, and seemed to be having an internal struggle to say what he wanted to say. Amaris cleared his throat, then said, almost shamefully: "That means, for me to make that report, I have to take you with me."


End file.
